


“you again?”

by cabinscrabble



Category: oneyplays, sleepycabin
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Coincidences, Fate & Destiny, M/M, Slow Burn, freelancer!Zach, graffiti!Chris, hopefully
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23063281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabinscrabble/pseuds/cabinscrabble
Summary: Zach does freelance. Chris does graffiti.And they can’t stop running into each other.
Relationships: OneyPebbles, Zach Hadel/Chris O'Neill
Comments: 36
Kudos: 44





	1. cupid would probably like coffee, too

**Author's Note:**

> chris/zach needs moreeeee content, heres a nice, cheesy, au one for ya :))

Zach liked it in here. 

The windows hadn’t been cleaned since the last century, the coffee wasn’t anything spectacular, half the chairs were fucking breaking and cracked. But it played good music and the workers were good people, and they made a stuffed grilled cheese he would sell his soul for. So, he kept coming back to the damn coffee shop with negative charm. They let him haul in his work laptop and bulky screened drawing tablet at 7am, and stay until closing at 11pm, so he came a lot and tried his best to leave a good tip each time he was there. 

Today, though, was just a dreary December day where he wanted to avoid his shitty roommate. It was too cold and wet to do anything outside, but not cold enough for snow or anything interesting. He’d just finished up a commission, only had one more to go, so he’d decided to stretch it for another day. Today wasn’t gonna be a full-out work day. Instead, he just brought his sketchbook, took a table he didn’t usually sit at, and resolved himself to draw everyone who came inside. It was good practice, and it was funny seeing how some people reacted when they caught him drawing. Zach wouldn’t call himself extroverted in a million years, but all his old theater kid friends from high school had rubbed off some charisma on him. He had retained just enough that he could crack a few jokes, let people snap pictures of their portraits, and occasionally talk his way into some spare change for the sketches. It was a decent way to make a few bucks, and it was a win-win for everyone. 

So, today he set up shop by a window in the smallest, shittiest booth the place had. He had a sketchbook, a pencil, a coffee, and a few hours to kill.

He was there from maybe noon till 3 or so, just starting to get to one of the place’s busiest times. He’d drawn enough to fill a couple pages by then. Some people were only drawn once, while some of the more memorable ones were in there a couple times. The more expressive and/or fucking hot a person was, the more Zach found himself drawing them. He didn’t even do it intentionally, he fucking swore. The most he’d ever drawn one person the whole time he’d been doing this little challenge was 5 times in one visit. That almost didn’t count, though, since that person had been there the whole time Zach had. Unfair advantage. 

Zach got up and ordered a mocha to switch things up. He went back to his perch. His hand was getting tired as fuck, he was probably gonna leave as soon as the coffee was ready. He went to close the sketchbook.

But then, the door chimed open with a bit more of a shove than usual. Someone came in that he’d never seen before. 6’3”, hulking, brooding guy that still had a charm to him. A genuinely paint-splattered black hoodie, jeans torn and ripped on the knees and calves from use, black combat boots riddled with silver Sharpie doodles. A gray beanie, dirty blonde hair sticking out the edge, with a homemade tag of some sort of spray paint-y logo. He couldn’t quite make out what it said, but it started with an O. He had bruised and scabbed knuckles, scarred wrists, raccoon-esque eye bags, and a tired yet cocky expression. His face looked soft, his eyes looked like the sky, and his whole attitude suggested a smart little mind but dumb fucking choices. 

Zach felt his stomach drop. Jesus fucking Christ, maybe now he DID believe in love at first sight. He really understood why people always gave Cupid arrows in those old Renaissance paintings; he felt impaled. 

He glanced over at the ordering counter. The barista, a guy named Tomar that he’d grown to know from late nights, was giving him such a knowing look. Zach felt his face flush. Was he that obvious? Tomar nodded to his coworker before he hopped over the broken gate at the counter and made his way over to Zach. He slid up in the booth seat across from him. “Ah, young love,” he cooed with a grin. 

“Dude, literally shut up.”

Tomar laughed quietly. “Don’t blame you, that guy made me forget I have Jaxxy for a second. You’ve got taste.”

Zach was stealing glances at the guy now, his pencil already painting his features. “Uh. Thanks?”

Tomar stayed quiet for a second, unabashedly looking at the guy as he stood in line. Zach looked down at his paper, he already had a full bust portrait done. Fuck. 

Tomar got back up. “I’ll go get your mocha after the rest of that line. Shoot your shot if ya can, you’re too good to go single for long.”

Zach rolled his eyes. “I’ll be single forever and we both know it.” He went back to drawing the stranger. 

Thank fuck there was a long line, it gave him time to keep staring. The guy didn’t have obvious “idle animations” like some people did, Zach learned, but he just seemed to shift his weight around and tap his foot or drum his fingers to music that wasn’t playing. A musician AND an artist? Zach was ready to marry him this second. The guy’d scrunch up his face in distant thought a couple times, he’d pull off his beanie to mess with his hair, he’d repeat his order on his lips a few times, and he’d scroll through his phone. 

Zach counted how many doodles he had on the paper, ready for just one or two. 

He was at 3 drawings of decent quality, and it had been.... 7 minutes. 

...Shit. 

The stranger finally got to order. Zach strained his ears to hear his voice through chattering and mechanical clamor. Rough yet smooth, perfectly low, fucking butter on the ears, vaguely un-American. Maybe repressed Irish? Zach needed to brush up on his European accents. He payed with crumpled up bills he didn’t even keep in his wallet. He sat and kicked his legs up on a table and scrolled through his phone with such self-assured flourish. 

Zach had 5 drawings of him already. 

Shit. 

Some time passed. Zach heard his name called for his mocha, and he forced himself to put down his pencil and get up as soon as he’d finished the 7th doodle. It had been 15 minutes, fucking hell. Before he could close it, he heard Tomar yell out an order with intentional eye contact to him:

“White Chocolate Mocha for Chris! Chris, White Chocolate Mocha!”

Chris. Chris Chris, Chrischrischrischris. Cute guy on a cute name. Wait. Other way around. 

Zach didn’t plan to speak to him. For one, he knew he’d mess it up. Chris was just another cute guy in a coffee shop, that’s just a fucking trope. And Zach didn’t think of himself as anything fucking special. So he just beelined for his coffee without even daring to look at him. 

It was the not looking at him that made him literally walk into him. 

“Jeez, man, y’ve got eyes. Use ‘em,” Chris muttered, settling his feet into a standable position. His eyes glinted, though, when he noticed something in Zach’s arms. He presented the fabled question with no hesitation: “Were you drawin’ me?”

SHIT. His sketchbook was still open. 

Zach stumbled over his words, any ability for human interaction leaving his hands like water. “U-Uh, yeah, maybe.”

Chris smirked, eyebrows pushing together to show a hint of confusion. “C’mon, lemme see.”

Zach hesitated and Chris’ face switched to a “hurry up man” expression in mere seconds, so he flipped his sketchbook around. He felt his face heating up to be as hot as his coffee. Fuck, he hoped they looked good. He’d drawn so fast he hadn’t even had time to evaluate how good they were. 

But Chris laughed a couple times, pleasantly amused. “Tha’s good shit, man,” he said, “you’re good. Damn. I like that one.” He pointed at the scribble Zach had of him with his legs on the chair. 

“Thanks,” Zach managed to say, “y-you’re h- huh.. um, honestly fun to draw.” Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Chris grinned. “Yeah? Sweet.” 

“Sweet,” Zach parroted lamely. 

Chris’ little grin held a moment longer as he looked at the drawings some more. He sighed and looked back at Zach’s eyes, and Zach would SWEAR that he smiled a bit bigger. “Thanks for drawin’ me, ya make me look like I could model.”

Wish you were an underwear model, Zach thought.

“But, I gotta go. Keep drawin’, little guy. What’s your name?” 

Zach blinked. His brain realized what Chris asked. “Oh, u-uh, Zach. I’m Zach, Zach Hadel.”

Chris gave him that skeptical, confused smile again. “You sure?” He laughed again. “I’m Chris O’Neill. See you around, man.” And he was out the door. 

Fuck, Zach hoped he’d see him around. He looked over at Tomar again. “Dude, you were SO close to blowing that,” Tomar laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! more oneypebbles B)
> 
> this is gonna hopefully be more fluffy, but dont go soft on me either. not gonna have as connected of a plot, but it’ll all still connect. ive got all my chapter ideas written down this time and i feel proud of myself for it. im just gonna have fun n worry a tad bit less w this one, wordcount might be a tad lower but ill try to make it all more feelgood n shit
> 
> stick around!! thisll be fun hehehe  
> thx for reading!
> 
> (also if anyone wants to beta chapters, PLEASE OH PLEASE hmu @ cabinscrabble.tumblr.com/ (just send in an ask, pref not anon hehe))


	2. bread,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> & we’re back, folks

Zach’s feet and hands tapped out rhythm after endless rhythm as he waited in the lobby of the emergency room. He’d hurt his stupid ass wrist for drawing for way too long, again, and he’d called his doctor, and she’d just sighed and said to go to her friend at the emergency room halfway across the city from Zach’s place since his insurance should cover it, and so here he was. His wrist hurt, he’d left his sketchbook at home, his phone had just died, and he was fucking bored. So he just sat and played shitty, imaginary drums to songs stuck in his head. 

Some people shuffled around in the back. The people ahead of him in line got up, some poor mom and her kid it looked like, and they quickly followed a nurse to the emptied room. Zach went back to spacing out. 

“Come ‘round here often?”

That voice. He’d heard it before. He looked up. “..Chris?? What’re you doing here?” 

Chris smirked, walking around the mom and son. “Hey, that’s my name, nice. You were, uh. Zzzzz. Zzehh..”

“Zach.”

“ZACH! That was it, thank you. Sorry for forgetting, Zach, I’m shit at names. Zach Zach Zach.” Chris adjusted his arm in his sling. 

Wait. In his sling? Zach pointed at his arm. “What’d you do there?”

Chris’ eyes shifted around noticeably. “Uh, y’know. Fell onto a sidewalk, the usual.”

“What actually happened?”

Chris blinked and stared at Zach. “...Huh?”

Zach’s one intro psychology class finally payed off. “You like, looked everywhere before you said that. Not that good at lying.”

“Oh. Did I really?”

“I literally just said that you did, so.”

Chris giggled. It was cute as hell. “Shut up, man. Thanks for callin’ me a bad liar, yeesh.”

“No problem?” Zach smiled awkwardly. “So what’d you actually do, huh?”

He shuffled a bit. “I mean, I uh.. tried to jump over a fence- I jumped over it fine, but then I thought, oh, it’d be cool if I tried to do one of those, y’know, cool, rolly movie-landings? My arm fuckin’ crunched like a stale Poptart, dude.” 

EEWWWW, he could FEEL that. “Did NOT need that descriptor, Jesus fucking Christ,” Zach spat out, but the way he’d spoken must’ve been funny because Chris laughed the most he’d heard yet. Nothing obnoxious, just a hearty chuckle, but it was still a first for Zach. And he thought he’d fallen in love with him LAST week. 

“I just tell it how it is, man,” Chris said, messing with his sling again. “I’ve got a dumb pastry skeleton.”

“How’d you get so damn tall then, Pillsbury Chris-boy? You should just, like, shatter on each step, yeast wouldn’t do shit.” Zach was smiling as they talked now. This was one of the better conversations he’d had in a while, and they were talking about... fucking... bread bones. 

Chris laughed louder again. “I dunno! ‘M a fuckin’.. baguette beast or some shit.”

“Baguette beast—“ Zach started laughing too much to speak. Chris joined him on that a second later. 

“Ah, Christ man, I needed a good laugh,” Chris muttered through a grin, rubbing at his eyes. 

“Run into me again.” He hoped that came off as a joke. Was that too much? Shit. “It’s a service of mine.” Saved it. 

Chris gave him that same, slightly confused smile from the coffee shop. “Will do. We really have only met a couple times huh?” Zach nodded. “Well, if we can keep it up, I guess it’s till next time. Ya weirdo.”

“Till next time,” Zach echoed. “Don’t break your other arm.”

Chris smiled, did finger-guns at him despite the sling. “Noooo promises.” And with that, he left the lobby. 

Zach sat for a moment. What were the odds he’d see this random, cute guy AGAIN, and that they’d even talk? ...On second thought, he didn’t want to know the odds. Maybe it’d happen again. He definitely wouldn’t mind it.

“Hadel, Zach?” Called the speaker system, right in the middle of his goddamn thoughts. Stupid timing. 

He got up and shook his head, in a vain attempt to clear it. He could think about Chris later. Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little short for my standards, but its 5am so i hope im excused  
> i’ve got a few other chapters already made! ill try and trickle them out soon. idk how long this fic is gonna be yet tho (but i do want it to last a long while, this concept is so cheesy that i enjoy writing it a lot lol)


	3. doorway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what the fuck, eddsworld came back before i picked this fic back up

Zach couldn’t stop thinking about Chris, goddamnit. A random guy in NYC that he’s ran into a couple times, and he can’t stop fucking thinking about him. Keeps thinking about his smile, how soft his hair looks, the paint splatters, just... everything about him seems perfect. He has no idea what Chris does, other than draw on his shoes and jump over fences and look perfect, but he’d kill to know everything about him. What does he do for a job, what music does he like, what’s his favorite color, what kind of friends does he have, does he even like guys, why’s he been covered in paint the last few times they’ve met... Zach could probably write a dissertation just on the questions he wants to ask his mystery man. He’d thought a lot about this guy.

Orange light beamed down on him through the chilly December night as he walked along the sidewalk. He kicked some rocks and concrete chunks as he went, watching people mill in and out bars and pubs and clubs. He cursed under his breath for forgetting his wallet at home, he’d love to get a few drinks and not think about Chris right now. 

He heard some commotion from up ahead and focused on that instead. It sounded like it was coming from the next upcoming alleyway, maybe a few yards away now. Great. Nothing good ever happened in those alleys at night, he took enough walks here to know that. He continued walking, but braced for the worst. 

He heard a chain-link fence clang from the alley and saw a figure leap out onto the sidewalk, yelling out some stuff at two other figures that followed close behind. The three of them peeled off and ran in two directions, and of course the single one was running straight towards him. Great. Zach froze when the figure skidded to a stop in front of him. He could see spraypaint bottles tucked inside a sling, could see dazzling eyes underneath messy blonde hair, could see silver glint on boots. 

What the FUCK, it’s fucking Chris?

They both jumped when they heard the fence jangle again. Zach could see someone else slowly climbing over it and he got the feeling they were chasing Chris and those other guys, but before he could tell who it was, Chris had run up to him. He yanked on Zach’s hoodie strings until they were taut and pulled them both into a doorway, out of the chaser’s view. Zach nearly tripped over his own feet as they squeezed into the tight space together

Chris roughly pulled him closer with his free arm, snaking it around Zach’s waist. Tingles went down Zach’s spine at the contact. “S-Step on m’ shoes.”

“What—?!”

“SHHHSHshh.” Chris pulled Zach’s hood up and left his hand resting next to Zach’s face. “Step on my fucking shoes so- so the cop doesn’t fucking.. see ‘em an’ get me.” 

Zach complied. Why the hell’s he being chased by a cop? Who were those other guys?? Why’d he sound so out of breath, why’s he so close, how long was he running for? “W-What the fuck is happen—“

“Wait.” Chris patted his cheek a couple times then moved his arm back to Zach’s waist. He angled himself in even closer. Zach’s face was heating enough to make the cold air sting, fuck if Chris got one inch closer to his jeans—

There were footsteps approaching. Fast, out of breath ones. Zach nearly leaned over to look, but Chris leaning closer and squeezing his waist froze him instantly. The cop went right past them, not even slowing down to look for a second. 

They both waited a minute, nearly frozen. Chris was holding his breath, holding Zach the closest they’d ever been to each other. Their chests were nearly touching, their noses were mere inches apart. Zach could barely make out Chris’ face through the shadows. There was so much fucking tension in this moment, and fuck, Zach hoped Chris felt it. Eventually though, Chris exhaled hard, leaned away, and took his arm back. Zach took that as a sign to step back as much as he could in the narrow space and get off his boots. They both stared at each other for a moment. 

“Well, fuck,” Chris muttered, voice still hushed and breathy and worried, “good to.. good to see you again?” 

Zach laughed, anxious and awkward and astonished. “I— You— That, ALL of that just happened, and you’re opening with ‘good to see you,’ I’m just. I am. Fuck, man.”

Chris grinned sheepishly as he wiggled away, spray paint cans clanking around as he jumped out of the doorway. “Look man, what- what do you want from me, huh?”

“A goddamn explanation, that’s what.” Zach turned around to face him. “The hell just happened??”

Chris sighed, shrugged. “I mean... nearly got busted by the cops again, and you. Saved my ass? Through sheer luck?”

God, why did they keep finding each other. “What- AGAIN? What are you doing??”

“Captain Oblivious,” he raised his sling-arm and jostled the spraypaints again, “I do art, dipshit.”

Wait. Ohhhhh. “Oh, you do graffiti?” That’d explain several things. 

“Maybe! Th’ world will never know, Zachariah.” Zach just deadpan stared at him until he laughed. “Yes, jeez.”

“I’m guessing this is why you’re jumping fences and crunching your little bones then, huh?”

Chris tried to shrug with one arm. “Yeah, that might be a lil’ factor.”

“God, you’re a prick,” Zach laughed. Of course he had to have a hardcore crush on a guy that could get arrested any day now, just his luck. “Nearly choke me with my own jacket, then basically kiss me.”

“Hey! If the cop had seen us, he wouldn’t break up a couple dudes smoochin’!”

So he WAS ready to kiss. Zach couldn’t feel his face. He pulled his hood closer to hide how red it probably was. “Christ. Wh— Who were those guys you were with anyways?”

“They’re... I’ll tell ya next time we meet, weirdo.”

“You better, I’m pretty sure I could be charged now with like, helping you commit a crime or some shit.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Nah, that was jus’ me harassing you if anything.”

“But it was consensual.” 

Chris just winked. Fucking bastard gremlin hot ass. “Alright, well, I should probably run before that shithead loops around to look for us.”

Zach didn’t want him to leave. “Yeah, uh, for sure.” Uh. “Stay safe, I guess?”

“I’ll try to, just for you.” And with that, Chris turned around and left. Zach could see the two figures from earlier join him: one crawled out from behind a dumpster, the other stepped out from another doorway. He could hear them laughing, saw Chris’ fist pump in the air.

He really regretted wearing jeans, oh my God. Every inch of his body felt filled with sparks. The cold wasn’t even affecting him anymore, it couldn’t get through the layers of adrenaline and attraction. Third time he’s seen this guy and they’ve nearly kissed. And he only wanted it to go faster, fucking hell dude.

Zach turned away. He needed to lay down after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sry that its a widdwe short again :( ive been writing songs, my length ability has been dissipating rapidly  
> hope u enjoy xx


	4. tom fulp’s newgrounds christmas shindig

Christmas parties: only bearable if you’re friends with everyone. 

That wasn’t the case at this party. 

But, it was Tom Fulp’s little thing, and he’d made Zach feel extra special for being invited (“It’s some friends of mine and some people off the site, I’m not inviting everyone! You should come!”), so he came. There were free drinks, free food, and those really good store bought cookies, so that made it good. He stood idly in the living room, looking around the room, taking it all in, biting down on the last of his third cookie. 

“Zach!!”

Shit, that voice. Put a face, a name to it. Um. Um. Zach spun in a circle for a second, looking for the source.

Tomar! “Zach, hey! I didn’t think I’d see you here, how’s it been man?” He pushed around a couple people to give Zach a quick one-armed side hug. 

A spot of guilt hit Zach. He really hadn’t gone for bad coffee in a while, had he? “Dude! You’re here??”

“Yeah, I got invited by,” then his previously welcoming smile split into one of mischief, “you won’t guess who.”

“Well then tell me who, dumbass.”

Tomar laughed. “Remember that guy you fell in love with at the coffee shop before? You nearly spilled your coffee on him?”

Zach’s stomach dropped into the second circle of hell. “CHRIS invited you?”

“Yeah! I’m.. surprised you remember his name.”

Way too many thoughts hit Zach’s mouth at once, so he settled with saying, “I’ve, uh, I’ve seen him around.” Smooth. 

Tomar hummed at that, an eyebrow raised. But his face cleared into excited storytelling a moment later. “Anyways— yeah! He’s kinda become a regular around my lunch breaks, he sorta recognized me from before and we’ve just been hanging out some till I’ve gotta get back to work.”

“Wait, what’d he recognize you from?”

Tomar thought for a second. “Uh, he said he saw you and me talking before, then one day he just sorta came up to my table and started talking at me. He was funny so I let him sit, and yeah.”

Zach just. Nodded. 

“Oh! He’s taken up that sketch book, uh, thing that you do. He does a lot of really gross looking doodles, reminded me of your stuff, except he’ll actually rip them out and give them to you if you ask.” 

“Hey, I’m SORRY that I CARE about a nice-looking sketchbook, Tomar!” Zach crossed his arms in playful defense. “I refuuuuse to tolerate torn pages.”

“Well, Chris lets me pin his stuff to the cork board, so I think he’s just the better version of you now. Come see it some time, they make me laugh. Oh— speaking of him and you.”

What. “Excuse me?”

Tomar grinned, far too knowingly. “I just remembered— Chris also told me that you guys have met up a couple times.”

Now Zach’s defensiveness was less playful. “Look— It’s all been coincidences!! I haven’t been—“

“Looking for him? I know, calm down,” Tomar chuckled at his expense, “he said basically the same thing. It’s cute that you’re saying the same thing, maybe you’re soooulmates.”

His face flushed. “Shut uuup.” Christ, he didn’t come here to be bullied while ONLY tipsy. Though, maybe he should sneak in a question. “The hell else has he said about me, Chills?”

“He— Number 12, uh,” Tomar faltered, Zach was already laughing at the impression, “he uh, he thinks that you’re hot.”

“WHAT?!”

Now Tomar was the one laughing. He opened his mouth to continue but his eyes locked onto something behind Zach. He stuck a hand up in the air. “Hey! Chris!!”

No. FUCKING Way. “Tomar oh my God don’t mess with me like this,” Zach would’ve had his face buried in his hands if he wasn’t holding a drink, “don’t you fucking dare leave it there I will—“

“Zach?” Chris came bounding up, trying not to slosh his cup too badly. His hair was tucked in the same beanie and he still had his sling on, but the rest of his clothes were a bit more dressed up. He had a hopefully ironic Christmas sweater on on instead of his usual hoodies and longsleeves. A nice, darkish red jacket was tied loosely on his waist, and his jeans looked newer and didn’t have their rips and paint splatters. “Zach, you’re here too?”

Zach stared at him. “Uh- yeah! Yeah, I’m here, Tom invited me.”

Chris’ face broke into a goofy smile, oh my God he outdoes himself every time. “You know him too?”

“Yeah!“ Wait, how does HE know him? “How do you know him??”

“He scribbled his name and website thing on one of my unfinished, uh, paintings ‘cuz he said he was bored and he liked it,” he spoke with pure ease and cockiness and unworrying-ness, whatever the fuck that word could be, and it just made Zach fall for him deeper, “what about you?”

“Dude I’ve been like, one of the bigger people ON his website.”

“Oh! Nice! Tell me your URL next time I see ya, I’m probably not gonna remember anything from tonight,” Chris dissolved into a laugh. Zach laughed too.

“Wait,” there’s a hole in that equation, “I’m probably not gonna remember either— Do you have a pen?” Chris gave him that puzzled smile, then pulled out a Sharpie from his sling. Of course he keeps a Sharpie in there. “Dude, gimme your hand. I’ll write it on there.” 

Chris laughed, surprised at the request, but stuck out his free hand anyways. Zach uncapped the marker, scribbled down what he hoped could resemble “psychicpebble,” then took a few steps forward to slide the marker carefully back into his sling. Chris’ eyebrows went up slightly at how close Zach got, God he hoped that was a good thing. The two locked blurry eyes for a moment. Chris broke eye contact first, his face was flushing. Wait was it realy?

“...Anyways,” Tomar said, apprehensive, in an attempt to break the moment. Zach stepped back quickly, took a final sip from his drink. 

Chris tilted his head back to finish his own drink, then belched. “Hooh. I’m gonna go refill. Good seeing ya Zach, again. See ya losers later.” And with a final wave, he was gone in the mass of the party. 

Zach felt Tomar’s eyes on his back. “You should’ve written your number on him, too.”

He groaned. “Oh FUCK you, Tomar, you stupid genius.” Tomar just giggled. 

The party had continued, a couple hours had passed. The air was thick in Tom’s apartment now, all suffocatingly stuffy and shit, and Zach was getting close to his drink limit. So he did what every person would absolutely do when they’re sober: He climbed out a window to sit on the fire escape in the cold. 

It was nicer outside. No one was running up to him to strike up intoxicated small talk, his head wasn’t buzzing, his ears stopped ringing. All he could hear was residual chatter and music from inside, and restful city noise. Thank fuck the homeless people weren’t out screaming tonight.. though maybe that’s only a problem out by his apartment. Whatever. Sounds of car horns and shuffles of scattered 2AM foot traffic echoed around the brick buildings. He leaned his head back against the cold glass and shivered when it touched his neck. He stretched out his legs, relaxing a bit when his knees popped. Chilly gusts of wind on his bare skin kept him awake. It was nice. 

He barely noticed the window slide open, barely noticed another form clamber out. The person shut it, stood there looking out for a moment. The two looked at each other simultaneously Zach couldn’t get his eyes to focus on the entrant, so he just waved half-heartedly and pat the metallic landing next to him. “Care- uh.. care to join?”

The person stayed silent, then laughed. Familiar-ly. “‘S that Zach?”

“Depends who’s asking, shadowman.”

“Chris?”

Oh. “It’s Zach.” What’re the odds?

Chris lumbered over in the darkness, sat down cross-legged a comfortable distance away from Zach, maybe half a foot or so between them. He pushed his jacket on carefully, tucking it through his sling somehow. He chuckled absently, eyes flicking across the view in front of him. “What’re the odds.”

“I was,” Zach looked over at him the best he could, “I was just thinking that.”

Chris turned his head to look at him, too. “Dude, how do we keep doing this?” His accent shone in his words more than usual, probably from all he’d managed to drink that night. His syllables slurred together into a perfect, nearly-incomprehensible-yet-still-understandable mess. Zach found it hot as hell. Add “just being drunk” to the list of things Chris did perfectly, fucking hell.

“I don’t know,” Zach admitted. “‘M not mad, though.”

“Oh, me neither.” Was Chris getting closer, or could Zach not judge distance anymore? “I know.. dogshit about you, but you’re like, one of the more interesting people in my life right now.”

...Aw. “I could say the same.”

Chris snorted. “Then say it.”

“The same.”

“Oh my GOD,” Chris groaned, but collapsed into laughter over the stupid joke. Zach could see how his silhouette shook as he laughed, could hear each barking “ha” follow one another in quick succession. His weird chimpanzee laugh made Zach’s heart melt. 

One synapse managed to work in his brain. “Hey, since you just.. since you just said you don’t know much about me, and I don’t know much about you...” The thought left. Fuck. What was. 

Chris was slumping down further against the wall. “Take yer time, take yer time.”

Zach rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up.” Chris laughed again. The thought came back. “Oh. Since you don’t know... you know what I mean— why don’t we play like, fucking, 20 questions or some shit? Get to know each other?”

Chris was just lying on the metal floor now, legs bent up. “What, ‘s this a slumber party now?”

He felt embarrassed for asking. Just go with it Chris, come on. “When will we get the chance next, man?”

“Alright, alright, fair.” He stayed silent for a second, seemed to be trying to think. “Let’s not do 20, though. Big number.”

A laugh shot out of Zach’s mouth. “Big number— alright, sure, sure. How about just, I ask a question then you ask and we’ll count it up later?”

“Sure thing.” Zach could hear the smile in Chris’ voice. He had to be getting closer; Chris had angled himself in, now his head was practically an inch away from Zach’s legs. 

Zach let himself slide down a little, trying to not react when his shirt got pulled up and his back touched the cold ass fucking metal. “My turn first?”

“Pff— Unfaiiir.”

“My idea.”

“...Fair.”

What an idiot. “Uh. Favorite color.”

“Ooh, that one color between, like, bright red and bright magenta, where you can’t really tell if it’s more red or more pink?” He was talking with his free hand, drawing a little colorwheel in the air to try and explain more. “That one. I like it a lot.”

“Aww.”

“Don’t ‘awwww’ me, stupid,” he tried his best to cross his arms and pout, “I like.. colors.” A pause. “Uhh, Halloween or Christmas?”

“Christmas. By far.” Zach remembered the last time he got asked that, laughed a bit. “You wouldn’t believe the screamfest I was in with that question, dude.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, I was with a few guys n’ someone asked that. Literally 3-to-1 on Christmas, as it should be.”

Chris laughed. “A friend of mine said he had the same experience, yeah. Can’t believe anyone’d pick Halloween.”

“I know!! I’m glad you have a brain.”

“Heheh, yeah.” Chris took off his beanie, ruffled his hair around. First time Zach saw him without it on, wow. His messy, blonde, probably soft hair went in every direction. Zach resisted the urge to run his hand through it. Chris shoved his beanie in his jacket pocket. 

Oh, it was Zach’s turn now. Uh. “Favorite, uh.” Ask ittt. “Um.” Oh, just fucking ask it you coward. “Uhm, guys or girls?”

Chris snorted. “What, sex?”

“Yeah.”

“Guys, duh.” YES! “If I’m not gettin’ throat fucked, I’m not here for it.” OH.

“Wow. Strong.. strong feelings.” Not bad ones though, not at alllllll.

“What? I know what I like. What about you, huh?”

Zach could feel his face heating up. “Guys. Duh.”

Chris giggled. “Okay, good.”

“Wh— What does that mean?!” Zach looked down at Chris, trying to focus on his face.

Chris was grinning up at him. “Nunya beeswax.” 

“What are you, 7?”

“Yeah. ‘M just tall as fuck.”

Zach sighed at that, but couldn’t not laugh. Chris giggled too, Zach felt his face get warmer. “It’s my turn now, right?”

“No it’s mine, you just asked me if I was fuckin’ gay.”

“But then you asked me back.”

Chris counted on his fingers. “...Fuck. Fine, ask away.”

“Hm... Last like, last relationship you had, uh, why’d it end?” He’d never ask that question sober, so why not ask. Was that too far?

Chris sat up and craned his neck around to look at Zach. Shit. Too far. “Really? This really IS a slumber party now, Christ.” But he laughed softly, gently, and turned back around. “Uhh... Last one? This guy, uh, Niall. First real one I had with a guy, really, learned a lot about myself. I think. Uh, we got together ‘cuz he was a friend of a friend, and we did stupid shit together a lot. Y’know? And uh, I dunno. I guess it all went fast. One night I’m trying to learn his name, week later we made out. We stayed together for uh... a couple months? We broke up fine, both of us got just... overwhelmed, I guess. Still friends and shit, though— huh, I need to talk to him again.” He stayed quiet for a moment, thinking, staring out at the cityscape. “I kinda miss him, kinda want all that back, but I think ‘m just lonely right now.”

Zach stayed quiet. At some point during that confession, Chris had maneuvered and laid his head on Zach’s stomach. Now they were sitting there, Zach still partially leaning on the bricks, his legs stuck out, with Chris perpendicular and on top of him, legs bent together. The wind wasn’t as cold now, with Chris so close. It was really nice. He still really wanted to run his hands through Chris’ hair, his drunk brain hadn’t let that one go. 

“This is nice,” Chris muttered, echoing Zach’s thoughts, “we really need to keep accidentally findin’ each other.”

“Please, God, yes.” Zach didn’t even care if that sounded desperate. He wanted this, this moment, to last forever. 

But of course it couldn’t. The window was shimmied open again. Zach noticed that it was quiet inside the apartment now. He and Chris looked over as a guy stuck his head out and looks around. Oh hey, it’s Tom. “Sorry guys, time to go. Got a noise complaint, and I wanna nap.”

Chris snorted. “Alright, man.” He stood up slowly, Zach wished he didn’t have to move. He pulled himself up with the stairs as Chris groaned and stretched his back. The two stumbled through Tom’s window, said some goodbyes and see-you-laters to him, and left the apartment. Zach stood on the eroding sidewalk at the exit. The streetlights felt stupidly harsh on his eyes. Chris followed him out a second later. The two stood there for a second, Zach ordering an Uber, Chris texting someone to get him. 

Zach looked over at him. Should he ask him to come to his place? Is that too fast? The guy had literally just talked about fastness and how it didn’t work. Well... Was it really fast? Like, it had technically been weeks since they’d first met. That was a bit after Thanksgiving, now it’s Christmas. That’s not fast. Right?

But his Uber showed up, and the moment passed. Chris waved, gave him a small smile, and was gone. 

Zach prayed he’d remember tonight when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive had this chapter written since april, its def my favorite so far. ive got loose ideas for the next few interactions, but i’m worried that this schtick is getting old so i might speed up my og timeline. pls leave ur thoughts, i dont wanna bore yall lol
> 
> (on an entirely unrelated note... the next work i post may or may not be markiplier-centric please dont make fun of me lmaoo. ive just been binging unus annus & rewatching date/heist/who killed, so my old passion for his universe has been totally reignited. pls dont bully me i just like actor!mark’s vibe and i adore writing it)
> 
> mwah stay safe, hope u enjoyed!


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